Corruption in football, VAT employees on the take, a singer charged with fraud and the head of an animal rescue association allegedly pocketing donations.
It is a depressing list, but unfortunately, it is these stories that have made the headlines in the past few weeks. They point to a society that has lost its moral compass and, in a country that professes to be more Catholic than the Pope, it is no wonder that many find it hard to reconcile these two faces of Malta.
As we see each year during Holy Week, the religious pageantry is certainly and fervently present, but somewhere between the red damask and the gilded statues, we are losing sight of something much more fundamental. We do realise, I trust, that it is wrong to steal, and yet despite it being one of the Ten Commandments, I often get the feeling that swindling others out of money is not perceived as all that “bad”.
Too often, our definition of morals and values centre around the titillating subject of sex: who is doing what to whom. But good values go beyond what goes on in the bedroom. The above news stories all had to do with someone taking money that was not theirs, which I personally find more immoral than a couple of teenagers lusting after each other.
It is also wryly amusing that we tend to expect a lack of morality in countries that are more secular than ours. We read about a sharp rise in crime and degenerate behaviour in say, the UK, and immediately lambaste the entire population, “Tssh. What do you expect? They are not like us.” (In response to which I ask myself, “are these people living in Malta? Do they not see what is happening around them?”).
We even express surprise when someone of another faith or (gasp) a non-believer does something decent and selfless. It’s as if “goodness” lies purely in the domain of those who piously make the sign of the cross every time they pass by a niche holding a statue of Our Lady. This is because we conveniently overlook the fact that knowing right from wrong, or being altruistic, is not exclusive to those raised in the Roman Catholic religion. Actually, I sometimes find that the Catholic faith, with its loophole of going to confession and getting absolution, almost gives people a “way out”. So while lying is frowned upon, at the back of your mind you know that come Sunday you can confess, recite a couple of Hail Marys and all is forgiven. And yet, thousands of non-Catholic parents successfully teach their children that they should not lie, using the simple tenet that…it is wrong. Period. No threat of eternal damnation is needed, nor are they sent to confess their sin to a priest behind a screen.
The concept of doing something wrong, taken to its logical conclusion, also covers that which is illegal. From cheating on your income tax return, to claiming for social benefits to which you are not entitled, to something as innocuous as “taking” office supplies. I often get the impression that while children are taught not to steal, the definition of what constitutes stealing becomes blurred as they grow into adults. Getting your own back on the government or employer is considered permissible because “everyone does it” and it is fair exchange for how much you feel the government/employer has been taking from you all these years.
I’m often shocked by how casually people take things that belong to others. Remember those plastic nativity statues that were stolen from the roundabouts over Christmas? Apart from wondering why on earth anyone would want them (they were, let’s face it, ugly), I was taken aback that someone thought nothing of stopping their car and stealing public property. The thief was clearly oblivious to the irony of stealing symbols of the Catholic faith during Christmas, or perhaps he felt justified because, heqq, he wanted to create his own nativity scene at home.
Looking good
The most popular YouTube video at the moment is from a UK show called Britain’s Got Talent in which Susan Boyle sings her heart out and is given a standing ovation.
So what you may ask?
Well, when Susan, an unmarried, unattractive, frumpy-looking 47-year-old woman from a little village in Scotland first walks on the stage, she is cruelly laughed at by the audience. Unfazed, she tells the judges she wants to be the next Elaine Page and even they roll their eyes, and are barely able to conceal their sniggers.
When she starts to sing, however, Susan’s voice astounds them all and within seconds the stunned audience is on its feet. Shame-faced, the judges, one of whom is the notorious Simon Cowell, fall over themselves to heap praise on her talent.
The cyber space reaction to this video has been incredible with over seven million hits to date. What the film clip says about human nature is even more revealing – why are we so ready to mock those who are not attractive when good looks are, after all, purely a result of genetics and frankly, luck? It is easy to guess what would have happened to Susan if she did not happen to possess a magical voice – more sneering laughter, more jeers, and more mockery.
I have always had a problem with this type of TV show, which seems to revel in humiliating those who do not measure up to our sense of aesthetics. They seem to thrive on setting up life’s underdogs to take a fall, for our amusement, all in the name of entertainment. La Corrida is one of my pet hates for this reason.
We have become so used to worshiping at the feet of those who are gorgeous that we almost want to punish those who have not been blessed with good looks. Susan Boyle, with her beautiful voice, has made us all take a long, hard look at our own prejudices, bringing into sharp focus just how superficial we have all become.
Less is more
The sum of money raised for Puttinu Cares by Xarabank was impressive.
However, while watching Peppi Azzopardi in action, I couldn’t help remembering Queen Elizabeth’s remark about Silvio Berlusconi after the G20 group photo: “why does he have to shout?”
[email protected]